Before getting into this, in full disclosure, I was once "slain in the spirit." I had just lost someone close to me from suicide and went to a Friday night prayer meeting. When the call went out for prayer, I went to the altar. The pastor was praying and eventually leaned in and whispered, "you know someone is behind you to catch you." That was the final nudge I needed, and I went down and was out for several minutes. As I grew however in discernment, the bible taught me that this practice is simply not biblical, and I had to grapple with what happened that night. When confronted with the inerrancy of scripture and how it conflicted with my personal experience, I had to conclude that my understanding of my experience must not have been accurate. I was hyper-emotional and in great pain. My reaction was thus emotional, not spiritual. Now, that did not stop God from ministering to me within my pain and He did. That was the night that I began to deal with it and eventually be able to accept what had happened. God will always use whatever opportunity we give Him to help us in our time of need and I thank Him for that still to this day. I was not however, "slain in the spirit." I know I was not because that phenomenon is not in the bible, full stop. It is however a core experiential doctrine within Charismania. As such, many often come out to try and defend it biblically but because the bible does not support that, they often fall embarrassingly short. Such is the case in the above linked article from Charisma News and one of the Four Horsemen of the Demon Slayer Apocalypse, Vlad Savchuk. So, let us reason once more together beloved.
"The phenomenon of being "slain in the spirit" has been a topic of intense debate within the Christian community for many years. Some embrace it as a powerful and genuine move of God, while others argue that it is unbiblical or even demonic. To better understand this issue, let's break down this intriguing conversation by Vlad Savchuk into five key points that will help discern whether being slain in the spirit is biblical or a dangerous deception." - Charisma News
Now, it is not surprising that someone who understands demons as poorly as Savchuk would postulate that perhaps the experience is demonic. I do not think that is the case. This is just bad teaching. This is one of the end results of experiential, showy, "look at me" Charismania. I do not think there are bad motives behind those who are genuinely seeking a closer experience with God, nor in many cases the preachers who simply should, but do not know better. After I wrote my book on the lies of tithing, my pastor told me while he could not disagree with anything I said biblically, it was "just how we were taught." Once you start discerning however and are led into all truth, you see things more clearly. The moment for me was a few years later at a different prayer service at my old church, an itinerant preacher who had a great following was preaching. Her altar call involved people chasing her around the sanctuary and then slapping people on the forehead and watching them collapse everywhere. THAT looked demonic. Bodies were strewn everywhere and my friend in the security ministry told me it was amazing that no one got hurt. That was when I decided to biblically examine this doctrine and that led me to properly conclude that it is unbiblical.
"1. Bible Precedents for Falling Under God's Power. While the exact term "slain in the spirit" does not appear in the Bible, there are numerous instances where people in Scripture experienced altered physical states in the presence of God. For instance, in Acts 10:9-10, the apostle Peter falls into a trance while praying, receiving divine revelation. Similarly, Paul recounts his experience of falling into a trance in Acts 22:17-18, when he encounters the Lord. These passages demonstrate that God's presence can overwhelm a person physically, leading to falls or altered states. Additionally, when Jesus declares, "I am," the soldiers who came to arrest Him fall to the ground (John 18:5-6). While these examples don't explicitly describe being "slain," they clearly show that God's presence can cause individuals to lose physical control in some way." - Charisma News
This is what Charismaniacs trying to defend slain in the spirit are always forced to resort to. They compare this fabricated experience to things in the bible that are completely different. The example of Peter had nothing to do with being slain in the spirit, not even close. God was going to send Peter to Cornelius, but he had to break his bias against the gentiles and what he deemed as clean versus unclean. He did not fall backwards. No one laid hands on him. He fell into a trance and Cornelius also had a vision. This is also historical narrative, not a prescriptive text. Can God put us into a trance? Sure, because He is God. We however are not Peter. There was no instruction to "go and do likewise" regarding falling into trances. Ironically for Savchuk, most trance-like states today are demonic. The example of Paul also had no falling backwards or the laying on of hands. In this instance, Paul had just encountered Jesus Himself and was radically transformed. The trance was when God told him to get out of Jerusalem. So, I will make Vlad a deal. If you ever are knocked off your horse and blinded directly by Jesus and then experience a trance like state, you can call that slain in the spirit but what happens in Charismaniacal circles today bears zero resemblance to these incidents. Despite the narcigesis, we are not Paul, nor Peter. Perhaps the worst comparison is the soldiers, who were not even believers. They drew back, not fell back. They fell to the ground in front of the Son of God. So, is Vlad suggesting that these unsaved men were slain by the Holy Spirit? The same Holy Spirit who had not even come yet as Christ was not yet resurrected? The same soldiers who went on being soldiers and not be saved? It is beyond a stretch to suggest that because in the 6000 years of recorded biblical history there are a handful of experiences that are uncommon that we too must be having uncommon experiences. It is lazy theology that seeks to justify what we know is not justifiable. It is the same, "God used a donkey once" nonsense. Yes, once. That does not mean that you get to make an ass of yourself today, however. Just think of the lunacy of this correlation. Two trance episodes that happened to two of the greatest figures of the New Testament is being used to justify Pastor Bob slapping people on the foreheads in random churches today. If you have been to a modern Charismaniacal service, you would know that large amounts of people, not Peter and Paul, are laying all over the floor. Interestingly, it is often the same people from week to week. The super spirituals we used to call them at my old church. The same people who shout out incoherent baby babble, wear Jewish prayer shawls for no reason, or are really into flag ministries. It is all - look at me.
"2. Extra-Biblical vs. Anti-Biblical. A critical distinction in the discussion of being slain in the spirit is between extra-biblical and anti-biblical practices. Extra-biblical refers to practices not explicitly mentioned in the Bible but are not in conflict with biblical teaching. For example, practices like altar calls or church buildings, though not directly outlined in Scripture, are not contrary to biblical doctrine. Being slain in the spirit falls into this category, as it's not explicitly described in the Bible, but it doesn't contradict biblical principles either. On the other hand, anti-biblical practices would be those that directly oppose Scripture, like engaging in witchcraft or other sinful behaviors. Since no Scripture outright forbids the practice of being slain in the spirit, it's important to view it as extra-biblical-- something that can be experienced in the church without violating biblical teaching." - Charisma News
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